Grace
by Oliver6475
Summary: There is a new girl at Ashdene Ridge with green eyes and a large scar across her face. The weird thing is, is that Ryan know and cares about her, but she is nothing like him. Set before season 4. In Progress
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

Everyone was excited to meet the new girl. Mike had said she was a bit different, and possibly only staying for a few weeks.

So when the day arrived, everyone gathered in the living room, waiting to meet her.

Carmen and Tee hoped that they would be able to become friends with her, as she was their age. Ryan was hoping she was gullible, and he could use her just like the others to get his way.

So when she finally entered the living room with Mike, they were shocked.

"Everyone, this is Grace," Mike introduced, his hand on her shoulder. Grace had long black hair, tied back, and there was a long scar from the end of her right eyebrow to the left corner of her mouth, running across her nose. It wasn't pretty.

She wore a light purple jumper that was a little too big for her, hiding her hands and the belt that held her dark jeans up. The jeans swamped her feet, the toes of her trainers barely visible.

On her back was a black bag, its straps worn down and faded.

Her eyes, however, were bright green, her gaze hovering on Ryan, a small smile on her lips. His face remained emotionless, but his eyes betrayed his shock and fear of the girl standing before him.

"Her eyes…" Tee whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear, her tone slightly jealous. Carmen nodded in agreement, but the attitude was ignored by Grace.

Ryan stood up, his blue eyes on her green ones, and smiled, "Hello Scarface."

Grace laughed softly, her eyes sparking, "Hello Ryan. It has been a long time."

He drew her into a hug, holding her close. None of the other residents had seen such emotion from Ryan before, and it made them wonder whether Ryan had a true personality, of if he was a different person for different people.

Well whatever the truth was, they liked what they were seeing, and they hoped it would stick around.

When the two broke apart, Ryan offered to take Grace and show her where her room was. Mike agreed, shocked beyond words.

He had never seen Ryan in that light, one where he cared about someone other than his family. Ryan never even bothered with his sister, and now he seemed to be attached to an old friend.

Grace picked up the suitcase by the stairs, but Ryan took it from her, willingly carrying it. He didn't catch the glare she sent him, but he smiled knowingly.

"Why are you here?" Ryan asked quietly as they made their way up the stairs. Grace shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it.

Ryan sighed, and said something he thought he'd never say, "I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"I forgave you long ago. It was an accident," Grace murmured, and placed her hand on Ryan's, "I missed you."

"Yeah… I missed you too," Ryan responded, stopping outside a door. He placed a hand on it, and pushed it open, "This is your room."

"Thanks, Ryan," She said, slipping inside the room.

He placed the suitcase on the flood and tucked it under her bed, out the way. He knew she liked her things a certain way, and always had a full suitcase under her bed. He would never look in it, but he knew it was important to her.

"I'll leave you to unpack," He told her, walking out the room. He shut the door behind him, and paused a few moments, before walking away, frowning. He had to find out why she was in care.

Grace put her black bag on the made bed, and sat down. She opened the bag, and pulled out the two framed photos that were on the top.

The first photo was of herself, Ryan, her sisters and her father. Her brother had taken it when they had gone to the theme park, and her mother was in hospital at the time. She was only 10 at the time, but it was one of her favourite memories.

The second photo was more recent, and was of herself and her mother, sat on a bench watching her sisters play. Her father had taken it, and it was the only picture of her mother that she had.

She placed the pictures on her bedside table, and took her clothes out her bag. She placed them in the drawers by the door. The last three things in her bag were the most important things.

She had her money that her father gave to her, her fluffy teddy bear blanket, and her teddy bear.

She could never sleep without her teddy bear. It was small and easily hidden, which meant she could hide it from the dog when he was looking for a toy to destroy. Of course, it was always cute to see the dog cuddled up with the teddy, but she never gave it too long before he would start chewing it.

She was given her blanket on her first birthday, and it was her comfort blanket, which meant whenever she was ill, she had it wrapped around her like a cloak.

She stuffed the old bag under her bed and pulled the suitcase out. She wouldn't unpack much, just her pens, pads and photo album. She couldn't live without her writing stuff; they were very important to her and they told the stories she couldn't put into full sentences.

She put the writing equipment on the desk by the door, and put the photo album in the drawer in her bedside table.

She looked around the room and smiled. It was a plain room, with a simple bed, a lightly coloured, wooden chest of drawers with wardrobe to match, and a basic desk and chair, probably for homework.

Grace nodded, happy with the situation, and left the room with the plan to make a few friends. She knew what Ryan was like and didn't want them to think the same of her, so she was going to try and prove their probable speculations wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

Grace's quest was forgotten as Ryan walked out of the living room with his face blank of emotions. Grace instantly stopped him from going anywhere, and looked him in the eye.

"Hey, what happened? What did they say?" Grace asked, seeing the pain and fear in his eyes. He shook his head, and Grace reached up and cupped his chin with her hand.

When he was like this, he is unintentionally dangerous, willing to lie his way out, or accidently hurting someone in his pursuit of getting away.

"Tee said that I either tell people the truth, or they'll ask you," He whispered, before walking away. He left the words unspoken, but Grace knew that they'll ask her anyway.

Grace made her way through to the living room, where only a handful of people were now. There was a blonde boy with a red headed girl and a light brown haired boy playing a game, and a girl around Grace's age with a magazine in her hands.

Tee looked up as Grace entered the room. She wasn't a bad person, but she had to know why Ryan was so frustrating and lied to everyone about the past. She thought threatening him was the good way to go. Unfortunately, he had laughed and walked away, obviously leaving her a lack of choice.

Tee stood up, deciding to befriend the girl first. It was worth having friends when in care, friends you can actually trust, and even though Tee wanted answers, she wasn't going to be cruel, and outright ask. She had to be sneaky, because if she was friends with Ryan, she could be just as bad, too.

"Hi, I'm Tee," She said to Grace, smiling at her. It might have been her first time in a care home, and Tee wanted her to feel welcome.

"Hiya," Grace said, eying her warily. She may have just hurt Ryan, but she didn't want to make enemies early on. She was going to be friendly and polite, because that was what she was brought up to be, no matter of your feelings to that person.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get that scar?" Tee asked curiously, and Grace laughed softly.

"Oh, I fell down the stairs when I was younger," Grace explained, running her hand over her scar. Now that Grace was closer to tee, she could see the little lines branching off the main scar.

Tee thought that just a fall down the stairs couldn't cause that, so she asked how she managed to have such a large scar.

Grace laughed again, "It was just before my sisters were born, and Mum and I had just gone shopping. We lived on the top floor of our block of flats, and I tripped over a toy that the new neighbours had dropped while taking a box in. I fell down 9 flights of stairs. The building was really old, and the stairs had nails sticking out. Well… you can guess the rest."

"So you were just very unlucky?" Tee asked, and Grace could see it was just pure curiosity.

Grace nodded, and she realised she should have told the complete truth, but she didn't want to hurt Ryan, and make everyone hate him more than they obviously already did. She decided to just say something simple, and not admit the truth, "I just have two left feet."

It was then May-Li walked in, "Lunch is ready, guys."

Tee smiled, and led Grace into the dining room, and they both sat down. More kids filed in to the kitchen/dining room, and sat down as lunch was served. It was lasagne with garlic bread. Plates quickly got filled, and everyone started eating.

Ryan watched Grace from the end of the table, as she smiled and chatted with Tee and Carmen. He knew he shouldn't feel jealous, but he had just got her back. He wasn't ready to lose her to the girls yet. He wanted her to stay his in every way possible, and he didn't want to share. Not yet.

Grace looked towards him and caught the look of jealousy on his face. She took the opportunity, while the girls were talking to Floss, the red headed child who had demanded to know about the scar, but Tee hadn't liked it.

She smiled at Ryan and mouthed, "I'm still yours."

She loved him, he was her brother in everything but blood, and she would always be his girl. His to love. To protect. And she had always looked after him, and he looked after her, but it wasn't ever enough. It was never enough.

Grace watched him relax, and she tuned back into the conversation that Carmen had started about hair and make-up.

Ryan turned back to his food, and finished what was left on his plate. He stood and walked out the kitchen instantly, without saying a word to anyone. As he left, a small smile played on his lips, and for the first time since he went into care, he was truly relaxed for the first time.

Grace shook her head at his actions. It was classic Ryan, but no one seemed to notice as they stared at the door he had just disappeared through. Tee glanced at Grace curiously as she chuckled softly, barely audible to her own ears, and decided Ryan's actions were not unusual to Grace.

"Bailey," May-Li started, and the skinny black kid turned his head to her.

"Yeah, I'll do it in a minute," He grumbled, and shoved the last few pieces of lasagne in his mouth before standing up. He collected the empty plates, and took them over to the sink to start washing them up.

Tee grabbed Grace's hand and dragged her out the kitchen. The girls were talking about make overs and whether they should do one for Grace. Grace didn't care, but she'd let them do it if they wanted. It wouldn't be a big deal.

As the got up the stairs, Ryan was just coming out of his bedroom. He smirked at the three girls, rolling his eyes. With a quick thumbs up to Ryan, Grace entered the pink bedroom after the girls, and shut the door.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

Things had returned to normality at Ashdene Ridge. Everyone had accepted Grace by the third day, and there were no problems.

It was on Friday morning that the letter came. The children were still on Easter Holiday, and everyone had got up a bit later than usual.

As everyone sat down to breakfast, the post came, and Mike was the one to get it as everyone tucked into their breakfast, whether it was toast or cereal.

Grace and Ryan were quietly talking together, almost oblivious to the world around them, as everyone argued and talked loudly at each other.

It was a normal morning.

"Letter for you, Grace," Mike said, and he handed it to her.

Tee paused mid-bite, and stared at the thick letter hidden in the blue envelope.

"Who's that from?" Mo asked as she turned it over in her hand. The butterfly sticker made her smile, and she ran her thumb over it.

"My father," Grace said, tucking it in her hoodie pocket, and Ryan snickered.

"You still send him those?" He asked quietly, referring to the sticker. She shook her head, and he understood. It was the girls who would send them.

Once breakfast was finished, and plates were being cleaned, everyone disappeared to do what they wanted.

Grace instantly went upstairs, and into her room. Ryan followed, curious. He sat on her bed and watched her open the letter. She pulled out the white paper.

She read it quietly, not saying a word.

 _Dear Grace,_

 _I hope you're alright. Things are pretty normal, here, but we're glad we've got these letters to send. It keeps us sane._

 _I've had to fight the boys to keep the stickers the twins sent us. I gave a few to James to send to his daughter, but the rest are ours._

 _We gave you a bit extra this week. I thought you might be needing it._

 _I hope to hear from you soon, and I hope I won't be sending letters to this address for long._

 _With all my love,_

 _Dad xx_

She passed it to Ryan, before pulling out the money that made the envelope so thick. She counted the notes, and when she knew how much was there, she smiled.

"A bit extra?" She asked aloud, laughing, "They sent me double my usual amount. And it's just me."

Ryan knew her laughter was just a cover up, and decided to go along with it. He knew it was safer.

"Well at least you can go on a shopping spree," He said, chuckling, "None of your clothes actually fit you."

He was right. Her clothes were either too big or too small. Before, the money was always spent on the girls, and to be put towards the bills.

The money may have been weekly, but whatever wasn't spent on the twins or on important things, it went away in a box, just to keep it safe.

She had unpacked that a few days ago, and she had counted the notes up. It had over £500, and it was about to gain another £200.

If Ryan would let her.

If she had to spend it, she would rather go with Carmen and Tee.

It was an idea; an idea she liked.

"You have to spend your money at some point. I mean, I know you still have that little locked box, and I also know it's probably full to the brim by now," Ryan said, "And you know the money is for you."

Grace sighed, knowing that he wasn't wrong. She pulled out the box and held it in her hands. It was heavy, and Ryan wasn't wrong.

She decided she would go out – with permission, of course – and buy three or four new outfits.

Ryan smiled at her, and left.

She reached inside her top, and pulled out the key that was hidden in her bra. She unlocked it, and pulled out about 5 £20 notes.

She shut the gold box, and locked it, tucking the key back into her bra. She then put all the money into the envelope, and closed it.

She put the box away, and put the envelope of money in her hoodie.

With that, she left her bedroom.

As she left, she saw Carmen, and Grace smiled.

"Carmen, I need your help," Grace started, but before Carmen could respond, Grace explained, "I need new clothes. None of mine fit me, and I just got some money from my father."

Carmen's eyes lit up, and they were instantly looking for Tee. They found her in her room, reading quietly.

"Hey, Tee. Want to come shopping? Grace needs new clothes," Carmen said, excitably. Tee smiled, and with a quick agreement, they went downstairs.

Carmen just told Mike they were going shopping, and the girls were out.

Grace had found that the two girls were easy to get on with, and they had bonded well.

"Hey, Grace, how much money do you actually have?" Tee asked curiously.

Grace bit her lip before saying, "Promise you won't say anything. To anyone."

The two girls promised, so Grace told them she had £300. They walked to town, talking about fashion, and boys and everything.

Tee had questions burning about Ryan, but she was going to sneak them in. She wanted to know how the two met, what he was like when he was younger, and many other things.

As they got into town, Carmen asked how Grace was settling in, and Tee saw the perfect opening.

"Yeah, it's great. It's better than home, that's for sure," Grace responded.

"I noticed you were really close with Ryan," Tee said slowly, "How did you two meet?"

Grace laughed, "He was my new neighbour when I fell down the stairs. He wasn't the one who dropped the toy, but it was how we met. I was 5, he was 6."

Tee's eyes widened as Grace said that.

Carmen ignored the comment, decided to question later, and dragged the girls into a store.

Three hours later, three giggling girls entered Ashdene Ridge loaded up with bags, and Grace had something to wear.

Carmen had decided that navy colours looked best on Grace, and so most her clothes ended up in navy colours. She wasn't to mix outfits.

Grace took the bags up and began to put her clothes away. In one bag she had a white knit sweater, blue navy pants and a pair of black converses. In the second bag she had a white cardigan, a navy and white dress and navy flats.

In the last bag was her favourite outfit; a pink cotton t-shirt with rhinestones, grey coloured rip and repair jeans, black ballad flats and a Marc Jacobs Grey Laeticia Jacket.

She was happy with how the day went as she ended up with clothes to wear.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

 _Dear dad,_ Grace began, biting her lip. She tapped her pen against the paper, unsure.

 _I like it here. It feels safe… Like home._

Grace scribbled it out, casting the paper aside. She didn't want her father thinking she liked it in care. A knock on her door caught her attention, and the door opened to reveal Ryan.

"I haven't seen you since lunch. I thought I'd come and check on you," He said as an explanation.

Grace smiled, "I'm just trying to write back to my father. You know what he's like."

"Alright… Could you come down? Mike has asked me to clear up the lies I told and I want to tell the truth."

Grace sighed, and stood up, putting the lid on her pen. She followed Ryan out, and down the stairs. Everyone was gathered in the living room, very much like her first day, and she sat between Carmen and Tee.

"Okay," Ryan began nervously, "I know I told a lot of lies about my past when I first came, and Mike asked me to apologise about saying different things to different people."

Grace smiled encouragingly at him, and he rubbed his hands together, something he always did when he was worried.

"I realised that none of you would trust me until I told the truth, so here it is," Ryan said softly, fear creeping into his voice.

"I was put into care when I was eight years old, and I was split up from my little sister, who was five at the time," Ryan paused for a moment, glancing at Grace for support.

"Mum was an alcoholic, and beat me on a regular basis. Chloe never got hurt, though. She was innocent, could do no wrong. The beatings started when I was four, and Chloe was two. Chloe fell out a window; broke her spine, and mum blamed me."

Grace could see that his heart was breaking, but he was strong, "If it wasn't for Grace and her family, I would either be dead or still with mum."

Tee was shocked beyond words and turned to Grace, wanting to know whether it was the truth.

"Every word of that is true."

As Grace said those words, May-Li came in and announced dinner was ready. There was a mad dash for the kitchen, and Grace hung back for Ryan.

"Proud of you," She murmured as he draped an arm over her shoulders. He had never said anything about it out loud, and she was truly proud that he finally spoke the truth.

It was macaroni cheese for dinner, and Grace only ate a small portion, more focused on finishing her letter to her father. She had to write one; he expected it.

"Tee, you're on washing up duty," May-Li scolded, and Grace looked up. Tee had gone to leave, and was obviously trying to be sneaky about it.

She groaned, and went over to fill the bowl, knowing not to complain. Grace finished her food, and left the dining room alone, dashing up the stairs.

She knew what she needed to write, and she wouldn't hold back.

As she sat down with a fresh piece of paper, she sighed, knowing he wouldn't like the truth.

 _Dear dad,_

 _Thanks for the extra cash, it got put to good use._

 _I'm fine, I just miss the girls._

 _I like it here, it's… well, it's not quiet, but it's nice here. It's safe._

 _At home, mum was always sick and I had to do everything, and it was just exhausting._

 _Here, I only have my share of chores. I don't do everything._

 _I miss you and John very much, but I think I need to be here._

 _I'm not alone with a bunch of strangers, Ryan lives here too. I missed him._

 _I've made friends, Tee and Carmen are the best. They even helped me go shopping for clothes, you know I've always been useless at that._

 _I hope you and John are okay._

 _Lots of love,_

 _Grace xxxx_

She folded the letter and slid it into the already addressed envelope, and put a stamp on it. Grace stood from her desk, and slipped the envelope under her pillow.

She smiled, and left her bedroom, tucking her hands into her pockets.


End file.
